Playing on the Porch: Welcome to the 110th Metamorphosis Monday!

I gave myself a break this week from working on my home office. Instead, I've been playing out on the screened-in porch. I couldn't resist since it's been in the 60's all this past week and actually hit 75 degrees here today! I know this warm weather isn't going to last, but I had to play a little since it was so pretty. I decided to make a few changes to the hutch. This hutch used to be a really dark, dark stained color and I refurbished it just for the porch. You can read about the hutch make-over, HERE. It was still dressed in its fall attire and this just wasn't working for a sunny 75 degree day.







It was time to say goodbye to this fall/winter scheme.




Hello, sunny days!




I bought this china 3-4 years ago right after I added on the porch which you can read about HERE. The white pitchers are from HomeGoods and Marshalls, several years ago. HomeGoods always carries a wonderful variety of white pitchers if you're looking for one.




I found the china at HomeGoods, too and I bought all they had, which was 6 place settings (plus one in case of breakage.) I lucked out and found some additional square "salad size" plates on eBay to use for dessert. This china is made by Tabletops Unlimited and was designed by Darrio Farrucci. The pattern is Ma Maison. I haven't seen it on eBay in years. They apparently didn't make very much of it which is a shame since it's such a cute pattern.




This large piece on top could be used as a cookie jar or cannister...




Creamer and sugar...



This large platter hangs year around on the wall above the hutch. I think the house is supposed to be a Tuscan villa since the name of the china is Ma Maison. I think that is Italian for "My Home" but it also means "My Home" in French. What do you think? Is this an Italian villa? This scene has all my favorite things: white picket fences, topiaries, birds, butterflies, and lot of pretty flowers. Don't we wish life was like this everyday? Now, if I could just walk right into this scene. ;)




You can view several tablescapes I've created with this china HERE, HERE and HERE.

I'm looking forward to having the warm weather here to stay. In the meantime, the hutch is ready. :)




Looking forward to seeing all the changes you've been making in your home!



Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

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Please include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Why is this important? When you include a link back to BNOTP, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will find the other awesome "Before and Afters" linked for this Metamorphosis Monday. If everyone links back, this maximizes the visits for all participants.

Please DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. :-)

You're Invited to a Tea Party!

Recently, I received some delightful pictures of a tea held by Meg, a reader of BNOTP. Meg was originally born in England but now lives in Canada. She wrote to me and said, "I recently gave a British afternoon tea for six friends, including cream horns for which I bought the molds from England last year."

Meg told me the she went with a teacup theme and the cloth napkins were held by wooden teapots. Love it!








Meg said, "The china is a German set by JL Menau, it was gifted to me, so do not have any more details."



As you can see, these photos were taken of the table before the food was in place.




Here's how it looked once Meg filled the serving dishes. Meg told me, "I baked everything myself." Amazing! I would loved to have been present for this tea. Look at those cream horns and blueberry scones!




The sideboard was set for this festive occasion, too.




Meg, thanks so much for sharing these photos of your wonderful tea! Your friends must have loved every minute at this beautiful table!




See you this evening for Metamorphosis Monday!

Altoids Peppermint Chewing Gum: Oh, How I Miss You!

Can we talk? There is something I've been needing to get off my chest for a long, long time. I really hope you won't think any less of me, but I think it's time I confessed. Ok, here goes.

I'm a recovering Altoids Gum-aholic. Yep, it's true. And the only reason I'm a "recovering" Altoids Gum-aholic is because about a year ago, they quit making it. :( Rats!


Apparently, I'm not alone. Yesterday, just out of curiosity, (no pun intended) I Googled "Altoids Gum" to see if by some miracle Callard & Bowser had come to their senses and started making this amazing gum again. What I found astounded me! There are folks paying HUGE dollars on eBay for this gum...gum that I'm sure has to be out of expiration by now.

Check out some of the eBay auctions that just recently ended for Altoids Gum. These tins, each containing 20 pieces of gum, sold for $1.99 when it was still being made. In this auction, they sold for $6.00 per tin if you include the cost of shipping.



Here's an auction that is currently in progress. With almost 4 days left, there are already 11 bids and it's up to $51 for 10 containers. Don't you wonder how these sellers just happened to have Altoids Gum when it hasn't been being made in probably close to a year? I wonder if when it became hard to find, they went out a bought a whole stock pile?



Check out these "Buy It Now" auctions currently listed on eBay. This is for chewing gum, folks!



In the FAQ on the Callard & Bowser Altoids website, they state that periodically they have to discontinue making a product if it doesn't sell well. I don't think that's what happened here unless it was a case of very poor marketing. The folks who loved this gum, reallllly loved it. It was and is the only sugarless gum I have ever tasted that totally did not taste like sugarless gum. Plus, it kept its flavor and didn't turn to rubber in your mouth after a while like most sugarless gums do. And, it wasn't overly sweet. It was hands down the best gum I've ever tasted, sugar or sugarless.

I haven't succumbed to buying it on eBay. Yet. I figured, what would be the point? Sooner or later I would just run out again, and then what? If I did buy it on eBay, I'm not even sure I would enjoy chewing it. With each piece I would know I was one step closer to never having it again. ;) Sooner or later the eBay sellers will run out, too. Right?



Callard & Bowser...bring this awesome gum back! I visited their site today and clicked on the "contact us" tab. I politely asked why, oh why, did they quit making this marvelous gum? I'll let you know if I get a response. I'm not holding my breath. ;)

Ummm, do you think there was something wrong with it? The very first time I ever chewed a piece, I immediately sneezed. The second time, I sneezed again. After that, it didn't make me sneeze anymore. About a week or so later I picked a friend up from the airport. While driving back home, I offered him a piece of the Altoids Gum. He accepted and I told him..."It's gonna make you sneeze." He looked at me like I was nuts and took the gum. He started chewing and immediately sneezed. LOL We had a good laugh over that. I think he thought I was suddenly psychic or something. So, I have wondered...did the gum police make them remove it? Maybe someone had a sneezing fit! LOL

Now, I want to know...has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been hopelessly in love with a product to only have it be discontinued? If so, what was it and were you able to find a substitution or do you still miss it as much as I miss Altoids Peppermint Gum?

A Dovecote in the Garden Landscape

A Dovecote in the Garden Landscape:

Recently, I posted about a kind soul who came to my "rescue." That post contained lots of photos of the large dovecote in my perennial garden that runs along my driveway. I received several e-mails from readers asking for more information about this bird house and where I found it.

My interest in a dovecote for my garden came from years of going on garden tours. Often, while on the tours, I would come across these huge, beautiful dovecotes, and each time they captured my heart. But once I'd go home and price them...I would forget the idea of owning one. I could never understand why they were so expensive.




Over the years, to satisfy my desire for a dovecote, I bought smaller birdhouses similar in design, and always, after just 2-3 years they totally fell apart...just rotted away. Four years ago, I added a screened-in porch and a front porch to my home. Since the front porch completely transformed the front of my home, I decided to spruce up the large perennial garden along my driveway with a real dove cote. The brand I had always seen on the garden tours was Lazy Hill. I could always tell because the Lazy Hill dovecotes have a small, copper plaque along the bottom of the house. I had been told many times by gardeners that they held up and lasted for years and years. After my experience with the knockoffs falling apart, I was ready for the real thing.




The Lazy Hill dove cotes are really meant to be a focal point in the garden, a decorative feature...but don't tell the bluebirds who nest in mine year after year. :)




The roof of the Lazy Hill dovecote is cedar so it naturally grays to a lovely patina. At Christmastime, the dovecote in my garden gets a wreath. I love having this bird house in my front yard because I enjoy seeing it each time I return home. Four years later, I have to say, it has been one of the best investments I've ever made for my garden landscape.



When I bought mine, I priced them locally and online. The best price I could find was from Wildlife Cottage, a seller on eBay. I think he's still on eBay...or at least he was last time I checked. The dovecote comes with mounting brackets and I used those to attach it to a 4 x 4 pressured treated post I purchased from Home Depot. I pre-drilled the holes into the post because those posts are hard as rocks. Then I just used the long screws that came with the house to mount it to the post. I painted the post with the same exterior paint that had been used to paint the front porch.

Here's a photo from Wikipedia showing actual doves inhabiting a dovecote. Each cavity houses one pair of doves. Doves are supposed to make wonderful pets, according to what I read online. Interesting! It sounds like there's a fair amount to do though, to keep them safe.




Dovecotes have a fascinating history dating all the way back to Roman days. You can read all about them HERE and see pictures of quite a few HERE. Though many have disappeared over the years, during the 17th Century England had over 26,000 dovecotes on the grounds of monasteries and manor houses. Doves at that time were considered a food source, for both the eggs and the birds themselves. Dovecotes like the one below in Sussex England, often housed 500+ doves!




They were built in lots of different designs/styles. This dovecote is in a commune, Colombier at Manoir d'Ango in France.




My dovecote is around 4 years old and it still looks the same today as the day I installed it in the garden...except for the graying of the cedar roof. If you didn't want the roof to gray, I would think you could treat it with a stain or whatever is recommended for a cedar home. I personally opted to let it gray since I like that slightly aged look.

In late winter, I clean out the old nests and my tool of choice is really high tech...a coat hanger. ;) The directions at the Lazy Hill site say the roof comes off for cleaning, but I've never tried removing it since the coat hanger technique works so well. My house is made of wood but I noticed online, they are now made of "solid cellular vinyl" for durability.



Hope this information is helpful. I do recommend the Lazy Hill brand dovecote since mine has held up so well. My bluebirds would definitely give it a thumbs wings up. ;)



Tablescape Thursday:
Scroll on down to view some absolutely gorgeous tablescapes that were linked for this week's Tablescape Thursday!

Links available in this post:
Front Porch
Screened-in Porch

Celebrating Color with April Cornell: Welcome to the 131st Tablescape Thursday!

It's been a rare February day...actually a rare February week. With temps in the 60's here all week long, I've been craving spring and a tablescape full of sunshine.




I just shopped the house for a centerpiece. Actually, I couldn't make up my mind which centerpiece to use, so I used two. :)




The sunflowers normally live on the trunk/coffee table in the upstairs family room/bonus room. I've used them in previous tablescapes HERE and HERE.







Salad plates are Wedgwood. You may recognize them from our 39th Tablescape Thursday, HERE in May 2009.




I've been told that the hallmark on the back indicates these plates were made around 1937, or even earlier.




I paired them with my Blue Willow...




I love the raised pattern around the edge...




Flatware is Napoleon Bee...


I found the pitcher antiquing around 12+ years ago. I believe it's called swirl granite ware or swirl enamel ware. Do you collect enamel or granite ware?







How about a different centerpiece.....




I found this hand-crafted birdhouse years ago at the "Cottin Pickin' Fair" in Gay, Georgia. The breezes were blowing across the porch today...you can see the sheers billowing out on the porch in this pic. :)




I had planned to use it in the garden and just never got around to finding a good spot for it.




I love all the metal work and little details...




You may recognize the pattern in these wonderful placemats. They are Genevieve, Yellow Collection by April Cornell and I used the tablecloth in this pattern for our 82nd Tablescape Thursday. :) Here's a picture from that tablescape. To view the rest of that tablescape, click HERE.




I hope your week has been full of sunshine. If not, this sunshine tablescape is for you! :) If you have a teascape for this week, Laura at Decor to Adore is hosting a wonderful High Tea Tablescape party today.


Looking forward to your wonderful tablescapes!

Chargers: No brand showing on back, from Neiman Marcus 4+ years ago
Dinner Plates: Churchill, Blue Willow
Salad Plates: Wedgwood, found on eBay
Flatware: Napoleon Bee from Neiman Marcus
Stemware: Dollar Tree
Placemats and Napkins: Genevieve, Yellow Collection, Provided by April Cornell
Centerpieces: Granite ware, found antiquing many years ago; Birdhouse, Crafts Fair several years ago




Please Read:
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name. Then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

You may see a red X once you enter your link. No one else can see the red X, it's just there in case you make a little mistake and need to delete your link and re-enter it.

If you'd like to use the Tablescape Thursday logo button in your post, just copy and paste it to your computer and upload it to your post as you would any photo. Or, just grab the html code you'll find under the "Join a Party" heading at the top of this blog.

Please, link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful tablescapes posted for this Tablescape Thursday, thus increasing visits for all participants.

Please, don't add your post name/blog name in ALL CAPS...it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Thanks!

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course. :-)


Little Reminder: Thank-you for linking back to this post so the regular visitors to your blog will find all your fellow Blogger's posts linked here for this Tablescape Thursday. Don't forget to use your permalink. : )